


Anywhere In The World

by IRegretNothingAndEverything



Category: Bleach
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Dealing With Trauma, Fluff, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Knitting, Panic Attacks, Petty Arguments, Renji is having a lot of thoughts, Safety, Sharing Food as a Love Language, bringing each other together, death mention, emotional issues, i have no ships planned, matching sweaters, on the second chapter, road trip fic, soft moments, switching POV, this is just some found family bonding moments, to be seen, you can see ships wherever you would like but currently
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29853744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IRegretNothingAndEverything/pseuds/IRegretNothingAndEverything
Summary: This group of ragtag kids, fresh out of high school, and with the two ghosts who follow them around near constantly, decide to go on a road trip. This is for multiple reasons, of course. Eventually, they'll learn to be okay again.
Relationships: Abarai Renji & Inoue Orihime & Ishida Uryuu & Kuchiki Rukia & Kurosaki Ichigo & Sado "Chad" Yasutora
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dimming Bright](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24323188) by [schweinsty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/schweinsty/pseuds/schweinsty). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp! I wanted to write more Bleach and this is what came out of my brain. I know some things I wanna touch on in this fic, but I dunno the order or when it's gonna come out. I have brain worms, after all, they won't let me focus on one thing at a time. Hope you enjoy it though!

The issue is that only two of the six can drive. 

It’s funny, Ichigo thinks, that this is the biggest problem that they have right now. After years of fighting Hollows and Arrancar and Quincies, this group of freshly graduated high school students’ biggest problem is that the only two people that can drive are Chad and Orihime. 

Ichigo never learned, too busy with the aforementioned fighting, and then the aftermath of losing his powers. Uryu, apparently, got really anxious the first time he got behind the wheel, and proceeded to crash into Ryuken’s mailbox and then flee the scene of the crime, which led to a reasonable avoidance of motor vehicle operation. Rukia and Renji are dead, which Renji thought was a good way to explain it easiest, in the fact that the Soul Society has no need for cars. 

So Chad and Orihime had to figure it out themselves. However, the car they had was barely big enough to fit Chad comfortably, and Orihime didn’t want to drive the entire time herself-understandable, since they didn’t know how long they’d be gone really-and it was a lot bigger of a mess than it needed to be. 

But it was still funny, that their biggest issue was just. Driving configurations. Years of fighting battles to the death and nearly dying over and over just left a weird stain on his mind of what really mattered, of what issues were worth arguing over. It just felt... nice, that their biggest problems anymore was just this. 

“Kurosaki.” 

He blinked, refocusing in on the conversation, brought back to the word by a single soft word from Uryu, and Ichigo’s eyes flicked over to him. Uryu wasn’t looking at him directly, but glanced towards him out of the corner of his eye, then quirked a small smile at him, more a smirk than anything else. Ichigo though of the other Quincies for a moment, of the hurt-betrayal-anger-confusion that had surged through his body upon seeing Uryu with the enemy, then shoved it to the side. 

“What’s up?” 

Uryu lifted a hand, pressing a finger to the middle of his glasses, pushing them up in such a perfect way that the sun reflected off of them and hid his eyes from straight on. Ichigo could still see them, from the side, but that didn’t matter. Ichigo always wondered how he did that perfectly nearly every time. Maybe he was just the perfect height to pull it off. 

“Strange, isn’t it?” 

There’s a pause, before Ichigo snorts, not yet drawing the attention of the others with their conversation, as the four of them bicker back and forth about driving, and time periods, and rest stops. He nods, leaning his head back against the wall of the clinic, heart thudding against his chest. 

“So weird. Like... this is it? This is the next big bad we have to face? Rest stop schedules?” 

Uryu laughs, strained, but not as strained as it used to be, and Ichigo grins at him. 

“The way Inoue is talking about it makes this whole thing feel worse than any other battle we’ve faced.” 

Ichigo’s laugh is loud, a snort he can’t hold back and he curls himself in a bit, hears Uryu chuckle again next to him, freer than he’s been this entire time, and that draws the conversation’s eyes, the two of them chuckling at a dumb joke between the two of them like normal teenagers do, and it’s so so weird. 

It’s very weird. 

This were strained with Uryu. Between them all, they could see him so clearly standing up with the other Quincy, facing them down with a fierce determination that they couldn’t decode. 

Though they don’t have the monopoly on not trusting each other. 

Ichigo hadn’t been blind to the way Uryu’s eyes would track his blade in bankai, as if afraid that Zangetsu would end up buried in his gut once more, and Orihime would wake up terrified form dreams she still didn’t tell anyone, but she wouldn’t look at Rukia or Chad without tearing up for awhile, and Renji would look at Uryu sometimes and this sad look would cross his face and-

They all had their issues. 

That’s why they were going on this trip after all. 

“Look.” Ichigo pulls himself up, smiling, not grinning, nothing like that bright grin that he used to have as a child, one he lost and still hasn’t gotten back, but smiling nonetheless and it warms something in this group’s sheltered, scared hearts. “Why don’t I drive the first leg? It can’t be that hard.” 

It sparks a new round of arguments, stupid petty little arguments, of a group of fresh adults going on a road trip across the country, across the world, together, just because they can, and it’s not the arguments of weapons, not anymore, even if they still feel like tools to be taken out in wartime. It’s safer, now, of course, and better, and it’s funny. 

Stupid petty little arguments, and Ichigo couldn’t treasure them more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the start of this fic! I don't know how long it's gonna be, and I don't know what it's gonna be like, but! This is gonna be fun, I think. I always like getting into their issues, because that's always fun. 
> 
> Tumblr is catboyangels! If you post bleach please let me follow you I need to follow more people who post bleach stuff.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Uryu focused this time! From his POV too, and the start of them actually going on this trip !

Orihime was taking the first shift on driving, Chad got the front seat just by virtue of being the tallest one of them. Rukia was behind him, since she didn’t need as much leg room as Renji Ichigo and Uryu. Which meant two seats for three people. 

Uryu was smaller. He could manage to squish in next to Rukia easily enough. He didn’t say anything, but there was apprehension on his face when he left Renji and Ichigo to sort themselves out, sliding into the car next to Rukia. They weren’t... well they were friends, of course, and this whole thing was about getting closer to people, but he really didn’t know if she would mind him knitting the entire drive. 

He was still working on... presents, he could call them. 

Please-forgive-me-I-couldn’t-tell-you-about-spying-because-he-had-eyes-and-ears-everywhere presents. 

In the form of matching, horribly ugly sweaters. 

He was doing the horribly ugly part on purpose. Figured Orihime would like it no matter what, Chad just liked having clothing that fit him, and the other three would get a kick out of it. 

He already had Chad’s done. There was no one quite his size, it would be far too obvious if he worked on that one. Rukia’s was almost done, but he could finish that in the first hotel room stop, so they didn’t know, just in case.

This entire trip was being funded by Ryuken and Isshin. There were going to be some good rooms to stop in. 

Uryu wondered who he’d end up rooming with, or if they’d just let him alone. None of them really trusted him anymore, which was fine. 

There was a reason for the horribly ugly sweaters, after all. 

Ichigo slid in next to him, and Renji managed to worm his way in after, the four of them cramped in together in the backseat. Uryu wondered if it would have been easier to actually go with Rukia’s idea, of her laying across their laps in the back seat. She wouldn’t be able to sit up, but he wouldn’t be caught between their bony elbows as he tried to start Orhime’s sweater. 

Or maybe it was him, taking up too much room. This was a thing for friends, to feel better, to get to know each other again after all the horribly things, a therapy trip for who knows how long, to who knows how many places. They didn’t know. They could go anywhere if they wanted to. 

But had they really wanted Uryu here? 

It was a thought that stuck in the back of his mind, sitting in a small knot of worries and anxiety and burning self hatred that Uryu really just wanted to ignore. He couldn’t, of course, not forever, not all the time, but he could for now. 

He thought so at least, staring resolutely down to his lap, the clack of the knitting needles hidden under the sound of whatever music that Ichigo and Renji had argued to before they had even gotten into the car. 

Music arguments. It almost wanted to make him laugh, but he wouldn’t be able to explain the sudden giggle fit he was in. 

Rukia had pulled out a sketch book to his side. At least the two of them were quiet, unlike Renji and Ichigo, who were already starting up a new argument, something stupid and petty Uryu was completely sure, but he wasn’t paying too much attention. 

Just kept focused on this starting line, staring at it quietly for a moment, hand shaking and eyes blurring, and Uryu really didn’t know what was causing it right now, just kinda wished it would stop. 

He had long since trained himself out of having visible panic attacks in front of people. It wouldn’t do, those unsightly moments that Ryuken hated to see. The amount of panic attacks Uryu had managed to have near silently was insane. 

Rukia reached a hand over, settling her hand on the back of his. He blinked, laser focusing onto her hand for a moment, the warmth that spread from that point, that she held his shaking hand steady, without even looking up from her doodling, gave him something to be grounded. 

It helped, but it also led him to wonder how many of his silent panic attacks she had been aware of, unable to help because no one else could tell and they had never been close. 

Strange, really. 

Uryu took a small breath again, letting it sink it. 

He was here. He was here, they had chosen to bring him along, which meant they could still trust him in some way or another. 

That was enough for now. 

His vision focused once more. He pushed his glasses up, then shifted, letting her hand shift down onto his upper arm, and kept knitting. 

She didn’t move her hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not meant to be shippy, but you can see it as that! I just see Rukia as one of the most perceptive people in this group (Ichigo is a close second) and she can just. tell. And this time she can help a little bit. 
> 
> Tumblr is catboyangels ! Hope you're enjoying so far!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Renji POV this time, and some Uryu and Renji friendship moments before they are an underrated pair. 
> 
> Is it obvious Uryu is my favorite?
> 
> Also! This chapter was slightly inspired by Dimming Bright by schweinsty, with some of the thoughts Uryu has in that coming back to haunt me constantly.

There’s a wall of snacks in front of him. Renji stares at this row after row after row of chocolates and crackers and chips, and Renji just stares at it all in silence. 

There’s a lot of options. 

He’s not sure why he’s just not choosing something. Renji sighs softly, eyes darting across this entire thing, sees mint and chocolate and goes to grab it before pausing. 

Byakuya likes those. Renji always gets him something when he does, and his hand hovers before drops 

This is weird. 

Why did he do that? 

Renji blows air into his cheeks, holds it for a moment. Doesn’t breathe. Let’s it out slowly in one blow. 

He’s not working right now. He’s off of work, he doesn’t have to think about things not right now. 

He hasn’t taken a good real vacation in. Renji pauses. Ever, really, if he’s thinking about it. 

Not once while he’s been a lieutenant, and not once while he was working his way up to that point. 

He’s seen a lot in his time. 

Subordinates who got a little too cocky, torn into pieces. Friends, close friends, lost in battle against something too big, too powerful for their level. Wars that they suffered through and lost so many too. 

They lost a lot to these wars. Friends and family and peace of mind. 

Sometimes he forgets that Ichigo was fifteen when this all started. That they all were so young. 

They’re barely adults and they’ve been through so much. More than Renji had been for years at at time. 

Uryu slides up next to him. Renji glances over, blinking at him for a moment. 

“I don’t think it takes this long to decide on a chocolate bar.” Uryu pauses, spots the same mint chocolate thing Renji had went to grab before, then picks one up carefully, holds it for a moment, before tucking it into his elbow, where a sweet tea and a can of pringles also rest. Original flavor. Renji blinks at him again, sparing a smile. 

“Got a bit lost in my thoughts, I guess. Shit happens.” Renji looks back to the chocolate, sees something wafer, and snatches it up, doesn’t even think about it. Uryu snickers softly. 

“Shit happens so much, so often.” 

Renji laughs along with them, and they have to stop before they get too hysterical in this gas station, they can’t look at each other, and it’s not even funny but it feels so funny, and it’s only when Ichigo gives them a weird look as they’re leaving that the giggles start again and they don’t stop, turning into wheezing laughter as the other four look at them in confusion as they both just laugh, leaning against each other in near hysterics, but Orihime giggles softly, eyes shining, seeing them laugh in a way they haven’t in god knows how long, and it slowly sets off a train reaction, and the entire car is laughing, bright and loud and for no reason. 

It’s better. Renji knows it’s not perfect, but it’s going to get better, and he’s perfectly fine with however long it’s gonna take before they’re okay again. It’s never gonna be how it was before. 

But the new isn’t too scary, he thinks, staring at this wafer chocolate bar, before a pringle is held out to him across Ichigo’s lap, and he grins, taking it before Ichigo has a chance to steal it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr is catboyangels!! Hope you're enjoying this so far, I have some other ideas floating around in my head!


End file.
